Putting one more shoulder to the wheels of integrity, leadership and community.

Can a Salesman Teach Leadership?

I read Anthony Iannarino’s blog and follow him on Twitter, @iannarino. His blog, The Sales Blog, pours a reliable, steady flow of lessons about the art of selling, and, on the surface, it might not seem like it’s about leadership. But it is. He sells by providing leadership and by positively affecting the lives of his peers, partners and clients. His lessons in sales hit the mark for the craft of selling, but, for me, his blog is like an encyclopedia for some of the fundamentals in leadership: influence, inspiration, service, adding value, preparation, personal responsibility, and idea-sharing.

When you read his blog for leadership lessons, translate the sales words into leadership words and you’ll get the effect. The best example is this. Every place where one of his blog posts shows the word “client” or “prospect”, exchange it for “constituent”, “employee”, or “teammate”. If you haven’t already, try just that one translation for any one of his posts and I’m sure you’ll find at least one gem to reaffirm or to inspire you as a leader.

As you read more, you’ll see him serve principles like collaboration, attentiveness, partnership and passion. He writes phrases like “massively improve the lives of others“. And he inspires with challenges like this one, “Recognize that your beliefs are what drive your actions, and your actions are what drive your results.”

Anthony Iannarino might be one of the best examples I’ve seen of someone who not only strikes the balance between profit and positive human influence but also is an effective collaborator that dynamically teaches and learns with his ever growing community. If you’re searching for who to follow for leadership or sales, I suggest following @iannarino on Twitter and Anthony Iannarino’s The Sales Blog.

This endorsement is free. I rarely connect with Anthony directly, but I appreciate the recurring themes in his posts, and those themes are worth amplifying.